Partners
MED-LINKS Partners
Based on the network of partners in the Mediterranean, including 11 partners (R&D Institutes, Universities, Federations), with five different countries involved (Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Morocco)
Egypt
Heliopolis university for sustainable development
Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development is a private university in Egypt with sustainable development as its core mission. It was founded by a consortium of private and civic organizations with over 40 years of experience in fields such as renewable energy and organic agriculture. HUSD is actively involved in national and international networks, working with universities, industries, policymakers, and civil society. It has participated in several EU-funded projects, including FP7, TEMPUS, Horizon 2020, EuropeAid, and Erasmus+. Within the Faculty of Organic Agriculture, HUSD hosts a research centre focused on organic methods for preventing soil-borne diseases, and a Department of Water Engineering that explores solutions to water scarcity challenges in Egypt.
Sekem Development Foundation
The SEKEM Development Foundation is a private non-profit organization founded in 1984 and registered as an NGO with the Egyptian Ministry of Social Affairs. Its mission is to improve quality of life by promoting awareness, education, health, and sustainable living. Over the years, SDF has expanded its activities beyond basic education to include programmes in social development, healthcare, ecology, and more. It has received international recognition, including ISO 9001 and ISO 17025 certifications, and in 2003 was awarded the Right Livelihood Award (the “Alternative Nobel Prize”) for its contribution to sustainable socio-economic development.
ISIS for food industries, LTD
ISOF is an Egyptian company that is part of the SEKEM initiative, founded by Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish. It works to support sustainable development in Egypt by integrating the four pillars of sustainability: economy, ecology, culture, and society. ISOF brings valuable experience to the project in the areas of sustainable agriculture and circular water use, following cradle-to-cradle principles. With farms across Egypt, ISOF works closely with local farming communities, supporting their development and helping them adopt sustainable practices that benefit both people and the environment.
france
CENTRE INTERNATIONAL DE HAUTES ETUDES AGRONOMIQUES MEDITERRANEENNES– INSTITUT AGRONOMIQUE MEDITERRANEEN DE MONTPELLIER
CIHEAM-IAMM is the Montpellier–based institute of the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM), founded in 1962 as an intergovernmental cooperation organization under the auspices of the OECD and the Council of Europe. CIHEAM’s main objectives are post-graduate education and promotion of research and development in the fields of agriculture and natural resources. Currently, CIHEAM comprises thirteen member countries: Albania, Algeria, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia, and Turkey. Since more than 58 years, the Institute has built up an extensive international network of top experts specialized in a wide range of topics related to environment, food, agriculture and territorial development.
Greece
ARISTOTLE UNIVERSITY OF THESSALONIKI
The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki is one of the largest and oldest universities in Greece with about 42.000 active students. Among the most research‐active departments is the Department of Agricultural Economics (DEA) and especially the Agricultural Extension and Rural Sociology Unit which specializes in agricultural networks, knowledge and information systems and rural innovations. DEA has substantial experience in participating/coordinating many EU and international research projects and in multidisciplinary research particularly regarding rural development and agricultural policy.
INTERNATIONAL HELLENIC UNIVERSITY
The International Hellenic University (IHU) is a new, dynamic and rapidly developing University, located in the Northern Greece. IHU was founded in 2005 (Law 3391/2005) and its main campus is based in Thessaloniki. The personnel of the Department of Supply Chain Management have long research experience in agrifood supply chain management, ICT, policy impact assessment, decision support systems and tools, sustainable development and environmental management. Moreover, the academic staff have significant experience in agricultural economics, farm management, regional planning, marketing of agricultural products, food supply chain management, logistics and traceability. Emphasizing on its regional character, the Department has implemented successfully several academic and research programs in the framework of regional funding programmes, such as Interreg and Black Sea.
Italy
Alma mater studiorum - università di bologna
Since its origins in 1088, the University of Bologna has been student-centered hosting prominent figures from science and the arts. Based in five campuses (Bologna, Cesena, Forlì, Ravenna, Rimini), with a branch in Buenos Aires, it offers a teaching catalogue diversified and tailored to the needs of present-day society: over 200 degree programmes among its 32 Departments and 11 Schools are offered to over 81,000 students, 5,000 graduates are enrolled in PhDs and 3rd cycle programmes. In the MED-LINKS project, UNIBO is involved through DISTAL – the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, which focuses on research in agriculture, food systems, and sustainability. The university supports project activities through dedicated offices for research development, project management, and innovation.
Romagnatech
Romagna Tech is a private, not-for-profit consortium company that operates as a Research and Technology Transfer Organization. Its mission is to support technological innovation by helping companies develop advanced solutions, offering services to accelerate start-ups, and working with public and private research centers to apply research results. Romagna Tech promotes innovation in various sectors including agrifood, green tech, mechanics, and advanced materials. Its expertise covers both technical and managerial areas such as sensor engineering, ICT, artificial intelligence, industry 4.0, intellectual property, project management, and business development.
University of cassino and southern lazio
The University of Cassino and Southern Lazio is a young university, founded in 1979, with campuses in Cassino and Frosinone, and a branch in New York. It includes five departments, including the Department of Electric and Information Engineering, recognized as a “department of excellence”. Research and innovation are central to the university’s mission. It has attracted around €18 million in national and international funding and supported the creation of seven spin-off companies. The university has participated in several European research projects, including 8 under FP7 and 24 under Horizon 2020. In the agricultural field, the university has carried out research on dual quality strategies and unfair trade practices in the EU agri-food supply chain. It has also coordinated national studies on the role of knowledge and innovation in supporting sustainable agricultural transitions. The Department of Economics and Law is also part of the Syal European research network, which focuses on localized agri-food systems.
Morocco
Cadi Ayyad University of Marrakech
Cadi Ayyad University (UCA) is a public university in Morocco, founded in 1978. It brings together higher education institutions across Marrakech, El Kelaâ des Sraghna, Essaouira, and Safi. Within UCA, the Faculty of Juridical, Economic and Social Sciences (FSJES) in Marrakech focuses on training professionals for public and private sectors, and on conducting research in legal, economic, management, and social sciences. The L-QUALIMAT laboratory, part of FSJES, promotes both basic and applied research in management sciences. It brings together 14 researchers with expertise in management, marketing, logistics, statistics, and agri-food, and fosters national and international research cooperation.
University of Moulay Ismail Polydisciplinary Faculty of Errachidia
Moulay Ismail University (UMI) is a public university in Morocco, established in 1989. It is one of the country’s major higher education institutions, with over 72,000 students enrolled across nine institutions, including five faculties and four schools located in Meknes and Errachidia. UMI has a strong international focus, with more than 225 cooperation agreements worldwide and active participation in European programmes such as Erasmus Mundus, Tempus, FP7, Horizon 2020, PRIMA, and Erasmus+ CBHE, including projects coordinated by the university itself.